


Mothering Sunday

by blaiddseren



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-12
Updated: 2018-03-12
Packaged: 2019-03-30 09:13:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13948437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blaiddseren/pseuds/blaiddseren
Summary: Mothering Sunday 1996 and Molly tries to focus on what she does have, rather than the upcoming war and Percy’s lack of contact.





	Mothering Sunday

  
On mothering sunday Molly wakes to the smell of bacon and the sound of Bill and Charlie arguing over what’s burning and who’s the most useless cook. She smiles to herself and leans back into Arthur’s cuddle, letting out a soft sigh as he presses a kiss to her neck, “How long do you think we have before they bring it up?” He asks in a low voice, kissing her again.

“Definitely not long enough!” She laughs, proved right as the sound of thundering footsteps comes up the stairs.

***

The school owl arrives at just after nine; sent just after breakfast no doubt. The card from Ginny is a beautiful one from Flourish and Blotts, a sweet little poem on the front about how if Mothers were flowers she would be the one Ginny would choose and then a small token inside that blossomed into a stunning multicoloured bouquet when Molly held it. Molly feels her heart fill with warmth and she smiles to herself, filling a vase with water and placing the flowers in it. “Ginny?” Arthur guesses correctly as he walks in.

“Aren’t they beautiful?”

“Beautiful flowers for a beautiful lady.” He teases, pulling her into a hug.

A gagging sound draws them apart, “Get a room!” Bill teases before pulling a face, “Dumbledore’s called a meeting this evening. So we might have to go to a dinner earlier than planned, sorry mum.”

“Oh it’s fine love.” Molly smiles, trying to ignore the gnawing in her stomach, the flicker of worry that always comes with mentions of the order, of the war.

***

She’s just relaxing in the garden; trying to focus on what Charlie’s telling her about the dragon reserve when Bill walks out with a small parcel. Twelve thirty, posted at lunchtime when they were reminded what day it was, she thinks fondly as she opens it. The card is one of Lee Jordan’s drawings, as it had been every year since their second, and Molly laughs softly when she sees that he has also signed inside. It’s like having an extra son she thinks but then she is reminded of Percy and her heart sinks, “What have they got you?” Bill asks, interrupting her thoughts and she forces a smile, handing him the card so that he can see the illustration of the great lake and turning her attention to the parcel.

A large bar of honeydukes chocolate greets her along with a book that she has been meaning to buy for a long time but had never quite got around to doing so. “Oh they are good boy’s aren’t they? I am so lucky to have all of you.” Molly murmurs and Charlie grins, giving her a one armed hug. They sit quietly for a while, watching Arthur moving around in the doorway of his shed, and Molly wonders how long it’ll take before -

“So are you going to open that chocolate?”

***

  
She is just getting ready to go out to dinner, having finally found something suitable to wear, when Pig flies in and drops a letter right into her Pot of moisturiser, “Bloody bird.” Molly mutters, shooing the owl away downstairs and ignoring his hoot of irritation.

She wipes away what she can before pulling the card out, Ron’s scribbled handwriting greeting her from inside a generic mothering sunday card that looks muggle. Molly laughs and wonders how long it was before Hermione had given in and told Ron what day it was, and then how much longer after that before she’d supplied the card. She silently thanks the girl as she adds the card to the row on her dresser, closes her pot of moisturiser, lest any other accidents happen, and turns her attention to her hair.

As she is turning to leave the room she glances back at all her cards, laid out as they were every year, and closes her eyes, blinking back tears. Once Molly is sure she is safe from crying she moves back into the room, quickly rearranging the cards, hiding the obvious gap she has left in the middle; the gap waiting for Percy’s card which she knows isn’t coming this year.

***

The order meeting is as miserable as she had known it would be and Molly sinks into the sofa back at the burrow, listening to Arthur and the boys make tea in the kitchen, and wonders just how on earth they are going to survive this war. “Mum do you want sugar?” Charlie yells through, cutting across her thoughts.

“When has she ever had sugar?!” Bill replies and Molly chuckles, shifting up as Arthur comes to sit beside her.

“It’s nice to have them both here.” Molly says quietly and he smiles, leaning in to kiss her softly.

“Be summer soon and the others will be back.” Arthur says as he draws back and she laughs, it’s a bit of a stretch given that it’s only March but she’ll take it, “Causing all sorts of chaos no doubt.” Arthur adds and as if on cue there’s a smashing noise from the kitchen.

Molly sighs, “Everything okay?” She calls out. 

“Fine, Charlie’s just being a -” Whatever insult Bill’s abou to use is cut off, most likely by Charlie himself and Molly shifts, considering going in there to tell them to pack it in. Except she really can’t be bothered and they are adults after all, she decides, settling back down against Arthur and closing her eyes. She is almost dozing off when Arthur moves beside her and she hears a loud toot.

Hedwig is standing proudly on the coffee table when she opens her eyes and Molly feels a flicker of panic, wondering what’s wrong with Harry as she unties the envelope attached, letting Arthur deal with feeding the owl.

It’s a card. A muggle photograph of Hogwarts in last month’s snowfall stuck down to a piece of pale blue card with a barely effective sticking charm. And inside in Harry’s small barely legible handwriting it says

_Dear Mrs Weasley, Happy Mother’s day. Thank you so much for everything you have done for me over the years. Lots of love, Harry._

She cries then, she can’t stop herself, big noisy sobs as she realises that he must have posted it just before curfew and knowing Harry had spent all day worrying about whether he should send it or not. She cries for the unfairness of it all, that Lily Potter isn’t here to see the truly remarkable young man her son had become, or to receive her own card.

When she stops crying she feels exhausted and Arthur holds her close whilst Bill hands her a mug of steaming tea and Charlie hunts down some biscuits, “Just being daft.” Molly mutters.

“He’s a good kid.” Bill says, putting Harry’s card up on the mantelpiece and Molly smiles tearfully as she looks at it.

Okay so maybe Percy hasn’t bothered to be in touch this year but Harry’s card has warmed her heart and gone some way to helping with the hurt she has been feeling all day.

***

That night she dreams of her children; that Bill’s relationship with this french girl is as serious as he hopes and that Charlie gets the promotion he’s been chasing to be the manager of the reserve. She dreams that Percy is truly happy and floos them at least once a week to update them on his life and that the twins, and Lee of course, are running their successful joke shop. She dreams that Ron learns to appreciate his own worth and that Ginny plays quidditch professionally just like she wants. And she dreams about Harry; that he is happy and healthy and above all else safe.

And Molly wakes with a soft smile on her face and a steely determination to protect her children no matter what. 


End file.
